Top Illinois Republicans condemned a perennial candidate’s decision Monday to air a political ad questioning the sexual orientation of the party’s front-runner in the U.S. Senate race.

By CHRIS WILLS

The State Journal-Register

By CHRIS WILLS

Posted Dec. 29, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 29, 2009 at 6:51 PM

By CHRIS WILLS

Posted Dec. 29, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 29, 2009 at 6:51 PM

Top Illinois Republicans condemned a perennial candidate’s decision Monday to air a political ad questioning the sexual orientation of the party’s front-runner in the U.S. Senate race.

The Republican Party said it would no longer consider Andy Martin a legitimate candidate.

“His statements today are consistent with his history of bizarre behavior and often times hate-filled speech which has no place in the Illinois Republican Party,” said party chairman Pat Brady.

Fellow Senate candidate Patrick Hughes said the radio ad has no place in the campaign. Dan Proft, a GOP candidate for governor, called it repugnant.

Jacob Meister, a Democrat who is gay, called the ad “an insidious attack.”

Martin’s ad says there are rumors that Rep. Mark Kirk is gay and he should “tell Republican voters the truth.”

Kirk campaign manager Eric Elk issued a statement saying the ad “is degrading to the political process. The people of Illinois deserve better.”

Elk said the ad's allegation that Kirk is gay is not true.

Martin, formerly Anthony Martin-Trigona, has a long record of running unsuccessfully for public office, making unsubstantiated allegations and suing officials and journalists he dislikes. The federal courts have sanctioned him for repeatedly filing frivolous lawsuits.

Martin called one federal judge a “crooked, slimy Jew” and expressed sympathy to the perpetrators of the Holocaust.

He got a law degree from the University of Illinois but was denied a license by the state Supreme Court, which found him unfit to practice.

Chicago’s WBBM radio, one of the stations airing the ad, said federal law requires it to provide candidates with reasonable access and run political ads “without censoring them.”